After the 1996 release of Super Mario 64, magazines for years mentioned Super Mario 128 that would feature both Mario & Luigi for release on the N64 or its 64DD add-on. In an interview with Level3 Magazine in Sweden Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto mentions the game as one of his lost projects. Here’s the quote:

“Super Mario 128 was just one of many experimental games we had. Suddenly, everybody started talking about it. I’m in the all-too easy habit of starting a project only to later on not do much of it. There is a great deal of unfinished work on my desk. I worked on a prototype for the Nintendo 64 game with Mario and Luigi in it for some time.”

Hot Galleries

Miranda Cosplay

Tifa Cosplay

Lara Croft Cosplay

Pokemon Trainers

Back in 2000 Nintendo showed a “Super Mario 128 tech demo” that, while simply featuring 128 Mario’s to show the GameCube’s power, had everyone guessing as to whether or not a Mario & Luigi 3D adventure would appear on GameCube. Well, a few years later Super Mario Sunshine appeared without Luigi and this is confirmation the idea simply got dumped in Mr. Miyamoto’s drawer.
Maybe with Super Mario 64’s DS revival, we’ll see Mario 128 show up as well, there are already new 3D Mario DS rumors going around. Here’s the year-2000 demo where 128 Mario’s are trying to kill each other:

However, elements of Super Mario 128 live on in future games! In the July 2006 issue of GamesMaster, a short interview with Mr. Miyamoto at E3 2006 reveals that Super Mario Galaxy on Wii is not necessarily Super Mario 128.

GamesMaster: What inspired Super Mario Galaxy and what does it mean for Mario 128?
Miyamoto: Well, Mario 128 was a collection of different experiments. Super Mario Galaxy takes a lot of the experiments from Mario 128 and implements them in the game. Because of that it’s partly 128 but there are also elements that existed in Mario 128 (running around a sphere and gravity). I don’t know when we’ll be able to bring those out. The End?

March 8th 2007 update: At the Game Developers Conference 2007 Shigeru Miyamoto said he’s always asked by people “what happened to Mario 128?” And he responded that most of you have played it in Pikmin on GameCube. He added that you’ll be able to play Super Mario Galaxy on Wii this year.

Link Rides Epona Again In Majora's Mask 3D

FF: Type-0 HD Screens Are Smoking Hot

Senran Kagura Slippery Figurines

Pokken Tournament Realistic Surprise

Bravely Second Sees The Return of...

Street Fighter V Reveal Kicks Ass

Wallpaper Favorites

Mortal Kombat X Wallpapers

Grand Theft Auto 5 Wallpapers

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Wallpapers

Dragon Ball Xenoverse Wallpapers

Resident Evil: Revelations 2 Wallpapers

The Order: 1886 Wallpapers

About the author

By Ferry Groenendijk: He is the founder and editor of Video Games Blogger. He loved gaming from the moment he got a Nintendo with Super Mario Bros. on his 8th birthday. Learn more about him here and connect with him on Twitter, Facebook and at Google+.

More at

http://www.videogamesblogger.com astrotriforce

Very interesting. I always wondered what happened with the project. I did figure however that it was just some kind of demo or whatnot. Experiment. It’s amazing that no one has covered this story and everyone still points to Mario 128 when it was never even a game (and there were only like two screenshots if I recall from the Mario 64 w/Luigi)! That always bewildered me. At least now we know what happened to it! I think the story can finally be put to rest.

supadupagama

Yeh, but what I want to know is… will Mario and Luigi play separately or be available in co-op play in the Wii’s Super Mario Galaxy game?

Connor

shigeru miyamoto said that mrio 128 was switched to pikmin

Connor

oh my bad he said that up there…

http://www.addictinggames.com jimjimjijmjijmimjimjimjimjijm

i wonder if he will release super mario 128 WITH super mario galaxy

Luke Alexander

I don’t think it was that long wait. Here there is a good continuation of the game.